According to Professor Bowman such methods like capping student numbers for courses will have "disastrous" consequences for the future of the nation's education scheme.

"We've been playing catch-up with the cities and regions for three or four years and we just started to make some headway," Professor Bowman said.

"This decision by the government has really put all of that into jeopardy."

Professor Bowman said the cuts will "make it harder to get into university" and will cause a decline in the number of available places and in admissions, which has been on the rise in past years.

CQUniversity Vice-Chancellor and President Scott Bowman said budget cuts will "make it harder to get into university" and will cause a decline in the number of available places and in admissions, which has been on the rise in past years.
Kelly Butterworth

The Central Queensland university has had a boom of 27 campuses across the country and has set it sights on opening new campuses - such as the recent opening in Busselton - and providing new programs.

Next year, CQUni was planning on introducing a chemical engineering program and a potential marine science program to Gladstone, as well as growing the campus' numbers.

Bundaberg was also set to receive further funding in the accident forensics department and the Noosa campus was also due for potential growth.

A new range of equipment had also just been purchased for the emergency services programs in Yeppoon.

These initiatives are now in question, particularly for Yeppoon as CQUni "won't get any funding for any new students in that program".

"We're going to have to think very carefully about any new programs," Professor Bowman said.

"We've seen good demand for our nursing program. We desperately need nurses. We have been able to grow the number coming into the program.

"Now we're going to have to stop the growth in nursing so we won't be able to take on extra nursing students next year. It really does stop our ability to grow."

According to Professor Bowman, the possibility of any staff expansions will also now "come to a screeching halt" and the cuts will result in "less employment opportunities" in universities across the country.

The brakes have now been put on CQUni's ambition to "transition this country from a resource country to a smart country".

"There's no real equity because we have twice the participation rate in Brisbane (40%) as we do in Rockhampton (20%)," Professor Bowman said.

"We've been catching up [with cities] but now basically that inequity is frozen.

"Any new students now... won't get any government funding at all for at least the next two years."